frequently asked questions

What is business coaching and how does it work?

Just like professional athletes hire a coach to get to their best performance, business owners and professionals hire coaches to improve their performance and results. There are also coaches who specialize in relationships, weight management, and other specific areas. My specialty happens to be working with professionals to elicit their personal best in life and on the job, whether they work for themselves or are in an organization.

The coaching relationship is built on regular conversations between coach and client that determine desired outcomes, current obstacles and plans for reaching results. There are several ways we can approach the process and together we will co-create the one that works best for you.

Who works with a coach?

We work with those who are committed to their personal development and success and see the value of having a thought partner or objective third party to help them. Some of our clients have been managers, executives, small business owners, writers, architects, IT consultants, mortgage brokers, marketing directors, genetic engineers, chiropractors, business analysts, executive assistants, graphic designers, and other coaches. Generally, the people who benefit most are already successful in many of their endeavors and realize they’d like support in reaching the next level faster and with more ease.

What do you help people with?

Here are some of the reasons individuals have hired us:

• To improve financial results, generate more sales, negotiate a raise
• To identify strengths they can leverage and blind spots they can minimize
• To prepare and rehearse for a significant presentation or interview
• To design strategies, action plans with timetables, goals and benchmarks
• To develop strong leadership skills
• To assemble a dynamic team to help them launch a project
• To help teams work more effectively together
• To improve communication skills or other specific skill areas
• To put systems in place to streamline the operation of their business
• To reduce friction by identifying places where they are abrasive
• For better daily effectiveness in managing time and resources
• To navigate a transition to another position, another company, another profession
• To create more balance between work and life
• To challenge assumptions and expand possibilities
• To reconnect with their spiritual side and develop a daily practice for peace, joy and strength
• To understand what is really important to them and what’s next
• To launch a new product, book, service or business

How do you charge?

Fees are based upon a sliding scale, taking the following factors into consideration:

• Package of services selected
• Scope of work to be done together
• Market value of services provided: i.e. the work done with a CEO is likely going to require a different set of skills and level of involvement than the work done with an admin; therefore the fee will be relatively greater

How long do people typically work with you?

People get the best results when they commit to a minimum of three months, because big goals require steady progress in steps applied over time. There are occasionally people who want a specific preparation, say for an interview, and we complete their objective in a few sessions. Many clients will work with a coach on a particular issue or project covering a period of 6-9 months, then take a break for 3 or 4 months and come back to work on the next project. In the initial meeting, we sit down to design a plan and come to an agreement about how long we both think it will take to execute the plan. Then we play it by ear.

Do you work in person or by telephone?

Both. We can meet at their office or one of ours and we work with clients by telephone in many states and internationally.

What kinds of results are people getting?

Click here to read what clients are saying.

What are your qualifications for being a coach?

Teri Johnson, has been a practicing coach since 1999 after gaining certification through the Academy for Coach Training (ACT) in Bellevue, which is licensed by the International Coach Federation. She continues to expand her knowledge and resources through ongoing education and training in and out of the coaching community.  Prior to opening a private coaching practice, she owned a graphic design business for 10 years and taught on the college level. Earlier career experience includes management of commercial properties in a multi-state area, managing a variety of government offices within the US Air Force and Title Examiner in the oil and gas industry.

She believes her best qualification comes from being a lifelong student of human behavior and a genuine desire to see people get what they want and be happy.

Each coach working with My Personal Best brings several years of hands-on business experience and is certified through an ICF-approved coaching institution.

How do we get started?

Call and schedule a short telephone conversation where we explore your objectives, answer questions and can then set up a schedule. You’ll be guided to online tools to help you prepare for the initial session.

What is your contact information?

Personal Best Partners, LLC
425-681-8360
info@mypersonalbest.biz